Pierre-Yves Dermagne, the former minister and leading figure of the local PS, is not unworthy with 1,341 votes. His FOR list nevertheless makes do with six seats. For his part, Julien Defaux (MR), although at the head of MR-IC, won seven seats with his 940 preferred votes. The environmentalists, for their part, retain their status with two seats and will have difficulty weighing in the balance.
Mullens, at the top, but on the tightrope?
Corine Mullens exults, but with caution: “I’m happy, personally, but above all for the team. I did well to dream. We were hoping for 10, but 8 is already very good.” Behind this restrained joy, a little hint of hope: “I hope that we will respect the choice of voters to form a majority. We will have to start discussions tomorrow.” The words are chosen, the doors remain open, and Corine Mullens knows well that a victory in votes does not yet guarantee the throne.
On the side of Pierre-Yves Dermagne, the time has come for disappointment, but the fighting spirit remains intact. “I can’t hide my disappointment, for myself but also for the team. For the rest, there is no resounding victory. Everything is possible, and the game is open.” With six seats, Dermagne knows that he can weigh in the balance of negotiations. “We have good candidates, who have real skills”he pleads, his eye already fixed on future discussions. An alliance with Mullens or Defaux? Vagueness reigns, but the socialist has undoubtedly not said his last word. With his 1,341 votes, he remains a heavyweight on the Rochefort political scene, and he could well be the essential partner of a future coalition.
As for Julien Defaux, he adopts a more moderate tone, but no less ambitious: “There is an element of disappointment, we hoped for a little more, but it is realistic given that we had new and young candidates.” The liberal does not lose sight of the essential: “Everything is possible, the games are open. The function is one thing, but the interest in Rochefort is different.” A subtle appeal to his future partners?
Possible scenarios
With these results in hand, the candidates prepare to enter a poker game whose outcome no one can yet guess. Corine Mullens, with her relative majority, will try to assert her popular legitimacy, but her lead is too slim to claim an undivided throne. The choice of voters, certainly, leans in his favor. But Julien Defaux, with seven seats, could well be tempted to renew his alliance with Pierre-Yves Dermagne and thus don the mayoral sash. A PS and MR alliance would not be a first.
On the other hand, Corine Mullens and Julien Defaux, despite their past frictions, could also unite to respect the will of the voters. But wouldn’t this cohabitation be a little forced after the tensions of recent years? Nothing is less certain. What is certain is that Rochefort is in for a few hours or even days of political suspense, with perhaps a twist in store. The winning alliance is still the great unknown.
